Civil War cannonballs found on beach after Hurricane Dorian

FOLLY BEACH S.C. (WCSC) - Beachgoers found two Civil-War-era cannonballs on the edge of Folly Beach, uncovered by Hurricane Dorian and laying in the sand.

After reporting it, police, fire and local EOD teams responded, confirming the relics and making sure the cannonballs weren’t still live and dangerous.

Aaron Lattin and his girlfriend found the cannonballs off East Ashley avenue on the beach overlooking the Morris island lighthouse Friday night. The couple said they are new to the area and are happy to run into a piece of history.

“I wanted to get a metal detector and especially after the hurricane and see if there’s anything, any history or artifacts that kind of washed up on the shore,” Lattin said. “We actually just got lucky with no equipment, just spending a day at the beach.”

But this isn’t the first time Civil War cannonballs have been found on Folly Beach. Following hurricane Matthew in 2016, 16 civil war cannonballs were found in the same location.

“Maybe this is a hot spot for some good history,” Lattin said.

Other treasure hunters that scoured the beach after Hurricane Dorian weren’t so lucky.

“After the big hurricane I thought I’d find some nice stuff,” treasure hunter, Jerry Tindal, said laughing. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years and found some junk, maybe some mini balls, a few pieces of metal. A nice young couple five minutes before us walks across a cannonball. Wish I could find one too.”